Sometimes I enjoy reading peculiar-sounding books, because quite often they end up being charming, whimsical, and completely lovable. So with little hesitation, I decided to try a completely new-to-me author named Celeste Fletcher McHale, whose book is entitled “The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories”. Published by Thomas Nelson, this book sounded peculiar because, well, read for yourself:

“Jacey and Colin shared the three most intense days of their lives together, waiting for help as Mississippi floodwaters surrounded them. Jacey knew Colin was the love of her life—until her rescue boat went under water, along with Colin’s last name and pieces of Jacey’s memory. The last thing she remembered was being submerged in water. Again. As Jacey walks down the aisle as the maid of honor in her friend’s wedding a year later, the last person she expects to see is Colin.”

See what I mean? It sounded like a unique and enjoyable story, and it was both of those things —at times. But unfortunately it was also quite inappropriate, containing very questionable values and even some minor bad-language issues. Unmarried couples consider spending the night together, personal female anatomy is discussed with embarrassing detail, swear words are alluded to, and the humor is often a bit too cheap for my preference.

In the end, this story had every opportunity to be a good, memorable, inspirational one, but too many inappropriate portions ruined it for me. I read Christian fiction to be entertained, for sure, but also to live in accordance with the Philippians 4:8 directive about our thoughts… You know, true, noble, pure, admirable, praiseworthy, etc. “The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories” definitely did not live up to my standards for Christian fiction, which is most disappointing because it had such potential.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.